Romulan
"Romulans. So predictably treacherous!" -Weyoun The Romulans are a Beta Quadrant race from the planet Romulus. The Romulans are biological cousins of Vulcans, as they are descended from those who rejected Surak's reforms during the Time of Awakening. The Romulan Star Empire is the Romulan state and one of the major powers in known space. Origins Some theorize that both Vulcans and Romulans are descendants of Sargon's people, who possibly colonized Vulcan some six million years ago. ( ) This theory, however, was later contradicted by the discovery of ancient humanoid progenitors. ( ) When Surak's reforms of embracing logical principles and rejecting emotions spread rapidly across Vulcan in the 4th century, a minority rejected Surak's ideals. They departed Vulcan in the 4th century; later, some of their descendents established settlements on the planets Calder II, Dessica II, Draken IV, Yadalla Prime and Barradas III, which might have become a center of this new offshoot civilization, called the Debrune, which later died out. ( ) At some point, another group settled on twin planets that became known as Romulus and Remus. While Romulus was an class M planet, Remus was a harsh planet notable only for its dilithium deposits. These two worlds were the foundation of an interstellar empire that expanded to many worlds, reaching across much of the Beta Quadrant. Eventually that power came to be known as the Romulan Star Empire. ( ; ). '''See also': Romulan history, Dominion War Physiology Like Vulcans, Romulans have pointed ears, eyebrows that are arched and upswept, and copper-based blood that is green when oxygenated in the arteries and is copper or rust colored when deoxygenated in the veins. Most Romulans have two brow ridges above the bridge of their nose, forming a V-shape on the forehead. However a minority of Romulans lack the ridges, making them outwardly indistinguishable from Vulcans. Despite their common ancestry there are also many subtle internal physiological differences between Vulcans and Romulans. This is evidenced in Dr. Beverly Crusher's failed attempt to treat a Romulan, Patahk, who had suffered advanced synaptic breakdown, with the methods used to treat Vulcans. ( ) Romulans lack the rigorous mental disciplines developed by the followers of Surak. They are a passionate people, easily moved to extreme emotions. ( ) :This lack of mental discipline would seem to explain why Romulans lack the telepathic abilities that Vulcans possess. There have been numerous instances of Romulans successfully mating with other species, as evidenced in Sela (Human/Romulan), Ba'el (Klingon/Romulan), and the grandfather of Simon Tarses (Human/Romulan). :A reference to Saavik being half-Romulan and half-Vulcan was cut from the final edit of ''Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. It was, however, mentioned in the novelization of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.'' While Vulcans possess much greater physical strength than most humanoids, Romulans appear to be no stronger than normal humans, perhaps because of the lack of mental discipline and the more benign conditions of Romulus. The Terothka virus is a disease unique to Romulan physiology. Romulans are also susceptible to Tuvan Syndrome. ( ; ) Society In Romulan society, military/political rank influences social standing. Because Romulans are members of a militant civilization, who consider defending the Romulan Empire and their own personal honor of foremost importance, military service and its accompanying rank are decisive factors in determining social eminence. ( ) However, while the military plays an important role in Romulan society, it is the Romulan Senate that controls the government. ( ) The current highest Romulan rank is that of the Praetor, who presides over the Romulan Senate and acts as chief of the executive branch. ( ; ) The Praetor heads the Continuing Committee, which is comprised of the Empire's most elite individuals, which make decisions of the utmost importance. There may also be an Empress. ( ; ) :Q never explains what he meant by "Romulan Empress". It is possible, given Q's demonstrated ability to travel through time, that this was a position that existed in the past and no longer does. It may also be a figurehead position with no real power, like the Emperor of Japan in the late 20th and early 21st century on Earth. By the 24th century, the government of Romulus is dependent upon the Tal Shiar, the Romulan Secret Police, to maintain order and stability among both civilians and the military. The Tal Shiar is known for its brutal tactics, which include routine kidnapping, torture, and assassination. Many Romulans fear even expressing dissenting opinions as to not spark the interest of the Tal Shiar. There also seems to be some degree of tension between the military and the Tal Shiar. ( ) Romulan society is based upon a highly structured caste system. Unlike most of the highly evolved species in the Alpha and Beta quadrants, Romulans still practice slavery, and frequently use conquered races for forced slave labor and shock troops. ( ) Romulans tend to be highly xenophobic, engaging in extended periods of isolationism, and can be perceived as outright racist to other species, believing themselves to be superior. At least some Romulans believe that one day the Romulan Empire will rule the entire galaxy. ( ) Romulan society does not appear to be gender biased. Both males and females command warships, can obtain high political positions and can be members of the Tal Shiar. ( ) See also: Romulan language External Affairs First Contact Romulans were aware of humanity for some time before Earth knew of them. Infiltrating the highest levels of the Vulcan High Command, the Romulans were impressed and confused by humans. The [[Enterprise (NX-01)|NX-01 Enterprise]] inadvertently encountered a Romulan minefield, drawing even more Romulan attention. Even after fighting the Earth-Romulan War, it wouldn't be until the 23rd century that humans would see them and realize it. ( ; ) After the Treaty of Algeron went into effect, the Romulans retreated into isolation once again, but they never lost their fascination with humanity. After an attack by the Borg on a Romulan outpost, which they initially suspected the Federation of committing, the Romulans resurfaced, declaring "We are back." ( ) Relationships with other species In keeping with their xenophobic and arguably racist attitudes, the Romulans tend to conquer species rather than form alliances with them, and individual Romulans tend to treat other species with varying degrees of disdain. A Cardassian embassy existed on Romulus for a time, and Elim Garak was "employed" there as a "gardener." ( ) This suggests that the two species maintained an active diplomatic relationship, and they did cooperate in an attempted attack on the Dominion. ( ) The joint effort of the Obsidian Order and the Tal Shiar, however, failed. The Romulans had certainly cut all ties with the Cardassians by the time they entered in to the Dominion War, but when their relationship ended prior to this is unclear. One common familar saying among the Romulans is "Never turn your back on a Breen." While this statement could be taken as partially humorous and not in itself indicative of hostilities between the two species, the Breen Thot's apparent condition that the Breen be given Romulus in exchange for their help in the Dominion War seems to suggest there is some degree of unfriendly history between the two. ( ) The species that Romulans seem to dislike most, however, are Vulcans, and this feud goes back many centuries. The two powers once fought in a war that lasted 100 years. ( ) The two species would remain distrustful of one another for an incredibly long time, but some Romulans grew tired of this, and a grassroots movement for reunification of the two species was active for a time on Romulus. It was generally assumed that after the split, Romulans and Vulcans were unaware of their common ancestry until the 23rd century. However, it is now known that Romulans had infiltrated various positions of the Vulcan High Command in the 22nd century. How long they had been in these positions is somewhat unclear, as is how this came about in the first place. ( ) :The exact date, or even a reasonable timeframe, of the Vulcan/Romulan split it very unclear, though it certainly happened some time after Surak's teaching were introduced, which, on the Earth calender, would be 4th century CE or so. Klingons and Romulans once shared a brief, and likely strained, alliance. However, after a number of developments, including the Khitomer Massacre, the Klingons developed a deep seated hatred for the Romulans, and the Romulans are arguably the species that Klingon society in general despises most of all. ( ) Culture and Tradition The Romulans lack the rigorous mental disciplines developed by the followers of Surak. Like the Vulcans, the Romulans have surrendered unrestrained violence as a way of life. However, in the case of the Romulans this has been replaced with a controlled deviousness; as a species the Romulans are generally thought of as duplicitous, a reputation the actions of their government over the last decade has reinforced. ( ) During the 23rd century, Romulans practiced the execution of state criminals, by means both painful and unpleasant. Prior to the presenting of the charges, the Romulans allow the accused a Right of Statement. ( ) Reluctance to rely on overt hostility generally leads the Romulans to play a waiting game with their opponents, attempting to manipulate an adversary into breaking - or appearing to break - an agreement so as to give them a solid justification for striking. ( ) They are also well known for fearing disgrace over death. ( ) With this frame of mind, Romulan parents dispose of any newborn carrying birth defects as the alternative would mean a waste of resources. ( ) The totalitarian nature of Romulan society, in which dissent is often a crime and Romulan security officers masquerade as citizens, has led many Romulans to be extremely paranoid. (TNG: "Unification") A common Romulan greeting/polite phrase is "Jolan Tru", although what exactly this means is unclear, as it is used both in context of greeting and goodbye. In the 24th century, a dissident movement began to gain momentum, based on the desire to learn about Vulcan and Vulcan ideals. Their ultimate goal was the reunification of Romulus and Vulcan. Ambassador Spock was deeply involved in this movement. (TNG: "Unification", "Face of the Enemy") What has become of this movement in the aftermath of Shinzon's failed uprising on Romulus is unclear. In keeping with their isolationist tendencies, there seem to be almost no Romulan mercenaries, soldiers of fortune, bounty hunters, or other similar roles. :O'Brien made reference to playing tongo with a Ferengi privateer and a Romulan mercenary in DS9: "Change of Heart." While many arguably belligerent and militaristic species, such as Nausicaans, Breen, and even Klingons often sell their fighting skills to the highest bidder, Romulans are rarely, if ever, seen involved in such activities. This is possibly due to the apparent superiority complex of most Romulans, many of whom would likely find such work beneath them, and would prefer to serve the Romulan empire in some capacity. Romulans also seem to be somewhat indifferent to simple financial and material gain, and tend to find the idea of serving the Empire more appealing. They are, however, known for commonly using hired assassins, such as the Flaxians to conduct their offworld "justice." ( ) Food and Beverages *Kali-fal *Jumbo Romulan mollusk *Osol twist *Romulan ale *Viinerine People *List of Romulans *List of unnamed Romulans Appearances * ** ** ** ** ** * ** ** ** * ** ** ** *TOS films: ** ** * ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** * TNG films: ** ** * ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** * ** ** (hologram) ** ** ** ** (hologram) ** (hologram) Category:SpeciesCategory:Romulus de:Romulaner es:Romulanos fr:Romulien nl:Romulan